Metamorphosis
by ShadowPalace
Summary: Three stages, three vignettes, three sets of feelings, and one final product. The metamorphosis of our favorite couple.


**A/N: Hello! I just wanted to mention a few things before I began. Firstly, this is sort of AU… you'll see why I say that when you read it. **

**This is honor of the Last Olympian coming out in 4 days! I'm so excited! **

**Please enjoy! **

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_The life cycle of a butterfly has three stages: the caterpillar, the pupae, and the butterfly. Each stage equal in importance of the final product, and each stage a new change, frightening and exciting. _

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_The First Stage: The Caterpillar_

Annabeth sat on the steps of the Athena cabin, processing all the new information. She was still a bit shell shocked from her trip to the Sea of Monsters, where she and Percy faced off against Luke, whom she thought that she could trust. Plus, there was the resurrection of Thalia, and the prophecy that someone had to deal with when they turned sixteen.

"Hey Wise Girl," A strikingly familiar voice said beside her, "What are you doing?"

"Just thinking," Annabeth replied, still lost in thought.

"About what?" Percy said, tossing an in pen form Riptide, from hand to hand.

"You know… stuff." Annabeth said. She wasn't sure if she wanted to explain all her worries to Percy.

It was true, they had been through a lot together, and they were practically best friends. But the chilling thought that the prophecy could be about him, and she didn't want to make him more nervous than he already had to be.

"What type of stuff? You know I won't leave you alone until you decide to tell me," Percy said, displaying a sweet smile.

She rolled her eyes, "It's just hard to believe that Thalia is actually back." She said, somewhat truthfully.

"Yeah. How is she, feeling better?" Percy said. Thalia had been in the big house getting healed ever since she was revived.

"She is. I visited her earlier today; she's getting restless. She doesn't want to sit around in the big house anymore, she keeps complaining to me about how Chiron won't let her out." Annabeth said laughing, remembering her experience at the big house this morning where Thalia practically through something at someone.

"Sounds like she'll be out soon," Percy said, "Do you think she's going to hate my guts or become my best friend?"

"I'm not sure…" Annabeth said, thinking about it. She'd always told Percy that they would either be archenemies or best friends, but never thought that she would be in a situation where the two of them would be interacting with each other.

"What's that supposed to mean?" Percy asked. He was unsatisfied with the answer he was given.

"It means that we'll have to wait and see."

"She's going to hate me, I know it." Percy said more to himself than Annabeth, but she responded all the same.

"We're not sure of _that_ yet. You two could very well ditch me," Annabeth said, realizing that was what she truly feared as of this moment.

"I can't speak for her, but I won't ditch you. You didn't leave me on the Princess Andromeda, and I'm not going to leave you now," Percy said, then he added quietly, "Your pretty much my best friend."

"You're mine too," Annabeth said, finally believing what she was saying.

***

_They were in the caterpillar stage; young, innocent, and worrying about what was to come. Just learning how to stay on their feet, and stay steady on the world, refusing to let it control them and not wanting to loose their grip on it. _

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_The Second Stage: The Pupae_

"You're _still _looking at that thing?" Percy asked as he walked up to Annabeth who was sitting on the grass, eyes plastered to the screen of Daedalus' laptop.

"Yes." She said simply, refusing to let herself get distracted by Percy.

"You've spent the entire summer glued to that thing, and you still haven't found a thing! Why waste your time?" Percy asked, agitated by the fact that Annabeth had been pretty much ignoring him since they returned from the Labyrinth about a month and a half ago.

Annabeth shut the laptop, than turned the Percy, anger radiating off her face, "Found nothing? I've found _tons_ of things, they might not be about you, but I've found plenty of things. And maybe if you left me alone for a while, I would be able to find something to help _you._"

"Leave you alone? You've been ignoring me ever since we returned from that _stupid _Labyrinth. And I want to know why." Percy demanded. He was tired of trying and failing to trick Annabeth into telling him why she'd been dodging him all summer.

"I… it's hard to explain." Annabeth said looking down and feeling a bit embarrassed.

"Well, why don't you try?" Percy said, pounding his fist into the ground in frustration.

The truth was it was just too complicated for Annabeth to take, and she couldn't stand the feeling that she couldn't find balance and figure things out like she always had in the past.

Between her confusion on what to think of Luke, who she knew was hiding somewhere behind Kronos. The terrible prophecy she had received before the quest that had frightened every bone in her body.

She wasn't completely sure of what her feelings towards Percy were. Between the kiss on Mt. Saint Helens, then him washing up on- she didn't want to guess, and then the red head girl trying to ruin her life, it was all too much.

It was much easier to avoid Percy as much as possible, and focus her attention to Daedalus' laptop. She knew it wasn't the right way out, but it was a much easier one. She could feel productive, while delaying thinking about what really needed to be done. It was a fugacious plan, but it had worked up until now.

"Percy… I can't." Annabeth said, feeling her stomach lurch to her throat, resulting in her choking on her words.

"Why not?" Percy said, running a hand through his hair. He was tired of Annabeth getting elusive every time that something difficult aroused.

"You wouldn't understand." Annabeth said, wishing she came up with something better and less open-ended.

"Try me," Percy said, grabbing Annabeth by the arm, and shaking it with force.

She detached her arm from his grip with one large jerk, grabbing her laptop and storming off. She couldn't answer Percy, at least, not until she was able to figure out what exactly was going on with her.

***

_So they were the pupae. Too wrapped up in their own problems and hardships to care about the others. Too confused about what they thought about the other, so they through up walls in defense and protection to hide them from their feelings. It was easier behind said wall, and while it was more comforting to be behind it for the moment, it soon would have to break down. _

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_The Third and Final Stage: The Butterfly _

"I'm glad it's over," Percy said to Annabeth. They were sitting on the beach of Camp Half-blood together, it was the first day in September, and school was about to start in a couple of days. This was their last day here before they returned back to the 'real world' for the rest of the year.

Even though the battle against Kronos was only a week ago, it felt like much longer. Perhaps it was because Percy had grown to cherish every single moment of his life ever since it had been on the line.

"It's much more relaxing and peaceful now." Annabeth commented, looking out on the water, which too looked at ease.

Since the upcoming battle had finished, it took away a lot of anxiety and stress with it, leaving other thoughts that they put behind a wall of unimportance dribbling back into their minds.

"Well, now we can go back to daily life again, like how it was supposed to be." Percy said, getting lost in Annabeth's stormy gray eyes.

"I didn't realized how much I'd missed it until now." Annabeth said, laughing a little as she said it.

"Yeah," Percy said, than a question that had been bugging him entered his mind, "Now that the prophecy is over, will the Big Three have any more kids?"

"I'm not sure. Each of them already have kids, so I guess they would have more, right?" Annabeth said, wondering how long it would be until they had more Seaweed Brain's in the camp.

"I guess." Percy said, dragging his finger around on the sand so it spelled 'Percy'.

They sat in silence for a while, Annabeth taking in her surroundings for the millionth time, somehow even the atmosphere seemed like it was sighing in relief with everyone else. Percy continued to draw on the sand, remembering the last time he drew in the sand he was making battle plans with Nico.

"I've got to say," Annabeth said, "I'm glad that you're alive." She wasn't sure exactly what made her say it, but she didn't regret it. She had wanted to say some variation of that over the past week, but never found the right moment to.

"I'm happy that you're alive too." Percy said, adding a joking smile into the mix. He wasn't taking it as seriously as Annabeth had meant him to.

"When you were fighting him, I was worried that you would…" Annabeth said, attempting once again at trying to make a point without actually having to say it.

But with Percy being Percy, therefore completely oblivious, it went straight over his head, "Well, I'm still alive, aren't I? There's nothing to worry about." Percy said, patting Annabeth on the back.

"Percy… you're not getting what I'm trying to say here." Annabeth said, in a final attempt.

"What do you mean by that? You're saying that you're happy that I'm alive." Percy said, looking confused.

Annabeth shook her head sadly, and made a face to Percy, that suddenly made everything click. He knew exactly what she wanted him to do, and the truth was he had wanted to do the same thing too.

He leaned in and kissed her, trying to express all his feelings towards her in one passionate kiss, "Is that what you were trying to get at?" Percy said after they broke apart.

Annabeth nodded mutely, and leaned in and began to kiss him again.

Between all of the passion, longing, and love there was relief, relief that they could finally spread their wings and fly off into the sunset together.

***

_They were finally the butterfly; balanced and beautiful. They kept each other leveled, almost complete opposites pulling in the same direction. Together they were powerful and complete, and could tackle just about anything together, including the fate of the world. _

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**A/N: Thanks so much for reading! I hope you liked it. Please review; they are greatly appreciated! **


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